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hate crime
noun
: any of various crimes (such as assault or defacement of property) when motivated by hostility to the victim as a member of a group (such as one based on color, creed, gender, or sexual orientation)
Examples of hate crime in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
An Indianapolis woman who stabbed an Asian student in her head multiple times has been sentenced to six years in prison for the hate crime.
—Angel Saunders, People.com, 13 Dec. 2024
Nearly half of the total hate crimes were racial, with Black people disproportionately targeted.
—Rebecca Ellis, Los Angeles Times, 11 Dec. 2024
States with strong laws protecting LGBT residents, strong protections against hate crimes, and inclusive policies for undocumented immigrants were much likelier to have strong protections for animals.
—Sigal Samuel, Vox, 3 Dec. 2024
According to the Human Rights Campaign, over 20% of hate crimes in the U.S. are associated with anti-LGBTQ stigma.
—Dave Wessner, Forbes, 1 Dec. 2024
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Word History
First Known Use
1960, in the meaning defined above
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Cite this Entry
“Hate crime.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/hate%20crime. Accessed 30 Dec. 2024.
Kids Definition
hate crime
noun
plural hate crimes
: any of various crimes (as assault) when motivated by hostility to the victim based on social characteristics (as color, creed, gender, sexual orientation, or national origin)
Legal Definition
hate crime
noun
: a crime that violates the victim's civil rights and that is motivated by hostility to the victim's race, religion, creed, national origin, sexual orientation, or gender
More from Merriam-Webster on hate crime
Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for hate crime
Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about hate crime
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